


Snow And The Shadows

by Coldcurrents



Category: Arrow - Fandom, flash 2014
Genre: Ammunition, Arms, Bombs, Bratva, Crime, F/M, Gen, Gun Violence, Guns, Multi, Russian mib, Violence, italian mob, mafia, mafiosa
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-06
Updated: 2017-12-09
Packaged: 2019-01-29 17:53:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12636174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Coldcurrents/pseuds/Coldcurrents
Summary: A war of blood rages in the dark alleys of Central City.Once protected but no longer so ,Caitlin Snow is living a dangerous lie ,pretending to lead a normal life of tending to the Flash's needs.But deceit can't last forever ,can it ?Barry's normal life lead up to murders ,con men and An infamous Mafia Family ,and becomes the prime target of a rival clan after losing his heart to a killer.Will Barry be able to seek true revenge on his mother's murderer ?Can Caitlin pay the priceCan Caitlin fight from the Shadows ,and still stay working the light ?Highest rating-#76 in thriller/mystery26/11/17





	1. Backstory

_siamo familiari e la famiglia si attacca_

_мы семья, и семья слипается_

_nous sommes famille, et la famille bâtons ensemble_

_we are family and family sticks together_

* * *

 

_The sun filtered through the blinds, and Caitlin Snow dug through her dresser drawer for her bikini. Summer days were her weakness, and she couldn't wait to lounge out by her father's pool. It was one of the few acts of leisure that she allowed herself these days._   
_Stripping out of her sweatpants and tank top, she slithered into the black bikini and adjusted it. Gold hoops connected two thin straps that held up the bottom, and the top crossed halter-style around her neck. It pushed her ample cleavage together, and Caitlin couldn't help but frown at her reflection. To Her father ,Christopher Snow, she was still a little princess who shouldn't dare wear such scandalous things, but Caitlin was twenty now. It was time for her to step out of her shell. She'd spent her entire adult life focused on her education, but that was all behind her now. Independence was her next goal._   
_Her father hadn't understood when she wanted to go to college, and he loved it even less when she refused to go to the local university. Christopher no doubt thought that she'd come crawling back once her college days were over, and it was only because she couldn't find a job that she was forced to come back home._   
_And now she couldn't get an apartment. Every application for a job or a place to stay immediately got rejected. She'd graduated at the top of her class, and she had enough money saved up to pay more than the required deposit for apartments. It didn't make sense that she kept getting turned down time and time again. The only logical answer was that her father was involved._   
_"But you don't need a job, Princess," she mocked in his deep voice. "Everything you'll ever need is right here. I'll take care of you."_   
_Caitlin knew that her father would indeed take care of her, but she wanted to actually stand on her own two feet for once. She wasn't a child anymore, and she didn't want to be treated like one._   
_Beautiful Brown Hair and matching eyes. Shapely body. She'd been told all her life that she was beautiful, and she knew she turned the heads of her father's men, but when he was around, they averted their eyes and kept their conversations hushed. She'd always been too busy to think of men, even in college, but today she would start her new plan. Do everything she could to get on her father's nerves so he would stop stonewalling her applications._   
_Dabbing on a little lip gloss, she pushed her sunglasses on and tossed the sheer cover-up over her body. With her pool bag slung over her shoulder, she stepped quickly from her room and down the stone steps._   
_Christopher Snow was a rich man. As head of the city's Bratva—which made him one of the most powerful men in this entire region of Russia—he'd put a good deal of money into the mansion. He'd always told her that appearances were everything. Expensive artworks lined the walls, most gained through illicit activity. Luxury furniture, Persian rugs, crystal vases. Caitlin had grown up in wealth, and she barely spared it a glance. This was her home. She never even gave it a second thought._

_But his life wasn't exactly known to everybody.Four years ago Christopher staged his own death to get away from the press ,the publicants and to shut himself from the outside world.He was a scientist to begin with ,a Doctor.Even before he had any intention of taking on any type of Mob ,he wished to help people.When he married Carla Tannhauser he was over enthusiastic about starting a medical teaching institute under her name.It was a magnificent idea until when Caitlin was 16.Christopher saw the dangers the world had for her so he had to leave.Christipher made Carla and her team forge fake documents regarding the death of Christopher Vivian Snow.Caitlin didn't know a word of this and had feared that her father had really lost his life when the press got a copy of the death certificate.Her heart was broken and she went to her room to lock herself up in grief.But when she swing the door open she hadn't expected to see the very man she believed dead ,Sitting in her bed with a textbook in hand.Her textbook..._

_Humming a pop song that had been stuck in her head for days, she slid open the glass door that led onto the deck and stepped barefoot out to the dark stained wood. A walkway led out to the large gazebo right in the middle of the pool. On the far side of the pool, a fountain pushed the sparkling water up into a beautiful formation. Gorgeous blue and purple flowers decorated the high wrought-iron privacy fence, and an outside bar and snack station was nestled in the corner._   
_This manor gave Caitlin peace. Her father rarely used the pool. Occasionally her mother hosted a party, but other than that, it was always quiet. Smiling with glee and with a bounce in her step, she followed the walkway to the island in the middle of the pool and dropped her bag by one of the lounge chairs. After removing her cover-up, she moved to the edge to dip her toes in the water and test the temperature. Something red swirled through the water, and she frowned._   
_Caitlin saw him out of the corner of her eyes. Panic swamped her, but it wasn't until she turned her head and recognized the shape that she started to scream._   
_Her father floated face down in the water, surrounded by his own blood._   
_"Daddy!" she screamed. "Daddy! Someone help me!"_   
_Whirling around to call for his father's guards, her foot slipped off the edge. Still screaming, she hit the wood hard before slipping into the water. Soon, her screams were muffled. The water was freezing, and she quickly sank in shock. When she hit the bottom, she automatically pushed up, but the blood swirled around her, and hysteria set in._   
_Normally Caitlin was a strong swimmer, but the idea that she was trapped in the pool with her father's body paralyzed her with fear. Strong hands grabbed her and pulled her roughly from the pool. She broke through the surface and fought against her attacker._   
_"Caitlin ,Caitlin!, you have to stop screaming. Caity! It's just me!"_   
_The familiar voice finally penetrated her fear, and she gasped and spluttered as she sucked in the air. Zeo abyss ,Her cousin,just a few years older, pulled her from the water and wrapped her towel around her shivering body._   
_"Daddy," she gasped as she turned her head to get another look. "Cri, someone..."_   
_Zeo grabbed her head and kept her from looking back. "Catelìne dear, listen to me. We need to go."_   
_"Go? Go where? We have to call the police."_   
_"And we will," he said soothingly. "We will. But whoever shot your father could still be here, and your safety is our first concern. We need to go now. I need you to calm down and breathe."_   
_Her heart hammered against her ribcage as she pressed her head into his chest. A speck of red hovered at the corner of hiseye. She must have splashed him with the bloody water. She shuddered. The man stroked her wet hair, and she let him guide her from the pool.Zeo was like her best friend ,he quickly manoeuvred both of them into the Manor and to the back exit_   
_"Elise," he said in a low voice. "We need to get her out of here. Get Adrian to call the police and search the grounds for anyone who shouldn't be here. I don't have to tell you to search as much as possible before the police get here. Keep this within the bounds of the law, but we want to clean this in-house. Meet me at the safe house afterward.Someone knew Chris was alive ,so it has to be someone we know"_   
_Elise said something in a low voice, but Caitlin could barely hear her. Blood roared in her ears, and she couldn't get the image out of her head enough to be scared for her own safety._   
_"Daddy," she whispered. "Who would do that?"_   
_"Your father had a lot of enemies," Zeo said as he wrapped an arm around her and forced her to the garage. "Caity, I need you to focus. At least until we get you to safety. Can you do that?"_

_She stumbled as he continued to drag her, but there was no fight left in her. Opening the passenger door of one of the cars, he easily folded her inside. Wet and shivering, she wrapped her arms around herself and began rocking back and forth. "Daddy."_   
_Moaning, she barely noticed when Zeo started the car. He peeled out from the house, and she stared aimlessly as the trees flew by. Her father was dead. Her father was dead. It was like a broken record in her head. Her father was dead._   
_"Son of a bitch," he yelled suddenly and hit the brakes. Lurching forward, she immediately threw up her arms and hit the dashboard. The pain pulled her out of her hypnotic state, and she screamed. "Put on your seatbelt," he hissed._   
_Twisting her head around, she saw another car driving right next to the them. The driver wore a hood, and she couldn't make out his features, but his intentions were clear. He yanked the wheel, and the car careened dangerously close to her. Both windows shattered as something whizzed by her head, and she immediately ducked._   
_"Zeooo!" she screamed._   
_Her cousin let out a string of obscenities and hit the gas. Caitlin looked over to the speedometer and swallowed hard. One wrong move, and Zeo would have them barreling into the guard rail. But the other car stayed even with them._   
_Suddenly, Zeo slammed on the breaks again, and the other car surged forward. Throwing the car in reverse, Zeo turned his head and careened back to the last street. Pulling the gearshift back to drive, he jerked the car forward to the side street._   
_"Why would someone try to kill me?" she whispered as she turned her head and looked desperately for danger._   
_"Think, Caitlin," he said softly. "You could very well have seen the killer and not realized it."_   
_"But I didn't," she gasped. "I didn't see or hear anything. Just Daddy floating in the water." Her stomach roiled, and she pressed a hand to it and tried to take a few shuddering breaths._   
_"You're in shock," he said grimly. "You may not have known what you saw or heard. There's a good reason that someone is trying to kill you, Caity. They think that you saw something."_   
_She closed her eyes and tried to block out the horrifying images. "What do I do, Zeo? What am I supposed to do?If someone wants to kill me I'm not safe here"_   
_"Your father made sure that you would be taken care of,He may be gone but I'm here for you Catalina,so are the abysses and the snows " he said softly. "You don't have to worry about that, but we need to make sure that you whoever killed your father doesn't kill you."_   
_An hour ago, she was mad that her father had once again blocked her attempt to move out. Now he was dead, and chances were good that she would never go home again._   
_I won't always be here for you, Princess. You need to pay attention. I'm trying to teach you how to protect yourself._   
_It had never even occurred to her that her father was right. He wouldn't always be around, and now someone was trying to kill her._   
_***_

_There were times when Caitlin wasn't even sure what was going on around her. Sometimes time stood still, and other times the day was a blur. She got up, went to bed, and had no idea what happened in between._   
_Zeo and Elise didn't let her out of their sight. She wandered aimlessly around the safe house, a small but well-furnished apartment just outside of town, and tried to focus on what she would do next.Elise abyss too was her cousin ,Younger sister of Zeo ,twin to Chris Abyss named After his uncle Christopher.Victoria was the youngest of the abysses,three years younger than Caitlin.Miranda was their mother ,Her aunt ,the closest thing she had to a mother after Carla Tannhauser who was distraught after her husband's death scandal_   
_A small bag of clothes had been waiting for her at the apartment. When the police finally released the crime scene, she was able to go back for more things, but her cousins wouldn't let her stay, and she didn't really want to._   
_The sky was overcast on the day of his funeral.Caitlin sat in the pew, squashed between Elise and Zeo ; her aunt Miranda her confident, sat in the pew behind them. She hadn't heard from her since the murder,deciding to let the young girl mourn_   
_Shot in the temple with a thirty-eight. Caitlin had been around weapons all her life. She could easily picture the gun that ended her father's life. The authorities said the killer probably used a silencer and shot her father just minutes before she'd entered the pool area. He was dead before he even hit the water._   
_She tried to take comfort in the fact that he didn't suffer, but it didn't ease her pain. Her father was dead. Their last conversation had been full of anger._   
_"Why? Why would you want to move out? Why do you want to leave me?"_   
_"Daddy, I'm an adult. Did you think I would live here forever? College is over. I want to explore the world. I want to get my own place."_   
_"I'm not stopping you."_   
_"But you are! You're keeping anyone from accepting my applications! I know you are! You're driving me insane! You're treating me like a prisoner!"_   
_A lump rose in her throat, and she tried to swallow it down. Now was not the time to fall apart._   
_"Caity?" Elise whispered. "Do you want to go out and get some air?"_   
_"Is it almost over?" she asked dully. "I can't breathe."_   
_She put an arm around her and squeezed her gently. "Yes, almost. Just hang in there."_   
_The abyss family had been with her father since she was a kid. Then, they were arrogant teenagers looking to make a name for themselves in the mafia, but now they were literally,practically and metaphorically family. Knowing that they were watching over her was the only comfort she had. They were like her older siblings who would fight with you to make you a better person.She trusted them._   
_Finally, a quiet prayer ended the service, and she stood. Now she just had to endure the burial at the cemetery, and she would finally be able to curl up in her bed with a bottle of wine and try to drown her sorrows._   
_Caitlin turned to face the congregation. It was packed. Her father's territory was large, and although the business was drenched in violence and blood, he protected those who needed it. Half the city had turned out to pay their respects, and it felt like all eyes were on her._   
_"Do you think he's here?" she murmured numbly. "Do you think the man who murdered my father is watching me?"_   
_"Come on," Elise said as she nudged her to move. "This isn't about the killer. It's about your father, okay? Focus on that Caity.Things have been arranged by your mother to leave the estate Get a job for you In the city ,At a good place with lots of security.I want you to follow Everything Miranda says ,it's for your own good"_   
_Nodding, she swallowed hard and stepped into the aisle. Everyone bowed their heads and waited for her to make it the door. Everyone except one. She stopped short when someone stepped in front of her to open the door._   
_"Ms. Snow," he said in a low voice._   
_Caitlin looked up and drank him in. Tall. Dark hair. Devastating crystal blue eyes and a body that momentarily distracted her. She'd seen him occasionally leaving closed door meetings with her father, but she'd never paid attention to him. She didn't even know his name._   
_Those piercing eyes never left hers as he held the door opened and waited for her to pass through._   
_"Thank you," she said softly._   
_He nodded solemnly but didn't say anything else. Zeo kept urging her forward, but Chris ,her cousin stopped to talk to the stranger in a low voice. For a fleeting moment, she wondered if the gorgeous man had been the one to kill her father. Was he toying with her now?_   
_"Who is that?" she asked as she stopped and turned her head. Chris was already rejoining them._   
_"His name is Adrian DeLuca," Zeo growled quietly,his blonde tipped brown fox hair shook in annoyance as he muttered something under his breath "Come on, Catalina. We have to go. Everyone is waiting for you."_   
_Dutifully, she bowed her head and followed her brother out. They flanked her on both sides, and she watched almost curiously as their eyes scanned the crowd for potential threats._   
_"You don't really think that someone would attack me here, at my father's funeral, do you?"_   
_"It's the first time you've been out in the open in days," Chris reminded her. "If time is of the essence, yes, there is no doubt that they'll strike you down at your father's funeral."_   
_Strike her down. The words cause her to shudder, and she retreated back inside of herself. A more intense feeling—rage—quickly overrode her grief and fear. She should have been free to mourn the death of her father, but instead, she had to fear for her life._   
_Not many cars followed from the domed Russian Orthodox church to the gravesite. The actual lowering of the casket into the grave was meant only for those closest to Christopher. Other than Miranda ,Carla ,Caitlin and her extended family of cousins, everyone there was a business associate. Growing up, Caitlin had spent most of her time acting out because she thought her father loved his men more than he loved her. It was strange to have to share this moment with them._   
_The sun warmed her skin as she approached the grave, and she frowned. The clouds had cleared. It didn't even seem right. The wind should howl and the thunder roll, but instead, the day was rapidly turning pleasant. Beautiful even._   
_That evening Miranda ,her dead aunt had come up to her room to have a little chat with her._

_Miranda explained all the little details ,Caitlin would lose her middle names and be simply Caitlin Snow ,not Catalina Vivian Tannhauser Snow ,like how her father named her._   
_She was 20 and will get her Doctorate from the medical university on the other side of the city.Then Caitlin will proceed to live in her Majestic apartment in the CBD (central Bhutanese district) And will work anywhere She pleases to as long as Miranda approves of it.Caitlin can choose to study as long as she wants and study any degree.Caitlin really didn't like the rules set by her aunt but it was for her own good.Her mother would send her an appreciation certificate with which she can get a job anywhere in Central City.The only objection was that Caitlin should not utter a word about her family or where she comes from.She will use the alibi built up by her mother and aunt and stay true to it._   
_Perhaps,she...she can finally let her old life go there ,maybe she can start over like she always wanted to..._   
  


* * *

 

 

 

Present Day

"Barry ,there's an electric  fire on 5th aven-"  
"On it" Came The Flash's voice through the coms,along with a white signalling to Caitlin that he,was on the move.

 

 

 

* * *

 

_Possiamo essere divisi, ma siamo uniti per sempre_

_Разделенные мы можем быть, но мы едины, навсегда_

_Divisés nous pouvons être, mais unis nous sommes, pour toujours_

_Divided we may be, but united we are, forever..._


	2. Oblivious

_perché erano così ignoranti del mondo che ci circonda, dimentichiamo di osservare_

_потому что все были настолько невежественны вокруг окружающего нас мира, мы забываем наблюдать_

_parce que tous étaient si ignorants du monde qui nous entoure, nous oublions d'observer_

_Because were all so ignorant of the world around us ,we forget to observe..._

 

* * *

 

 

The lab was silent. Enjoying the stillness, I walked through the curving corridors of S.T.A.R. labs, headed to the cortex. Usually I was the first in to work, and last to leave ,but today both Joe's and Cisco's cars were already in the garage. I wasn't certain why they were in so early, but I was sure I'd find out. As for why anyone was at the Labs so late ,It was almost 11:30 and I had expected Barry to lock up shop at 9 and Cisco to leave by 10.

As I walked through the curving corridors and into the cortex I heard the two arguing

 

 

"Look, I'm just saying, we should run all the tests we can," Cisco was saying as I

"Tests for what?" Harry asked as he entered. Looking around, I nodded greetings to Harry, Barry, and Det. West.

"Seriously, I'm putting a bell on that," Cisco said, jumping a little when he saw me.

"My apologies," I sighed  They were all jumpy around me lately and I wondered why. They had been since Barry had gone against that meta

"What were you discussing?"

"Tests for improving his speed.Barry has been training a lot lately and I'm just worried that his body may not be conditioned properly"Cisco grumbled and Harry shook her head in disagreement

"Let Barry rest now.The fight against the latest meta has left him tired"

"I agree with Harry,leave him alone"

"Caitlin you of all people should worry"

"I am worried Cisco ,but we shouldn't pressurise his body too much !"I defended my point and Cisco gave up ,throwing his arms in the air.There really was no reason to give him a check up.

 

Barry had recently fought a meta who did manage to escape ,but got himself a good beating from The Flash.Barry too was pretty worn out so Joe put him on a strict no fighting rule for three days.Wally and Cisco were out on the field those three days but there was only one bank robbery and it was handled.

 

I sighed against and threw my bag on the  desk ,plopping down on the revolving chair beside it.I had a mountain load of work ,especially after all the Lawsuit drama.Now I had to check out the finances ,distribute shares ,merge companies and host a bloody party.A Party!? For gods sake why do I need to host a party ?and then there was six tons of Flash work.

 

"Earth to Caitlin"

I snapped out my thoughts when Barry tapped the desk

"You done with the serum ?"

"Serum ?What serum"

"The serum to get our newest meta down ,the one who can turn into animals"

"Oh My God I ... totally forgot about that..."I sank my head into my palms and tried to rub the sleepiness out of me"

"What is going on with you ,That's the third time this week you've forgotten about something"

"Really? What's the other two ?"

"Fourth"

I cursed under my breath and got up ,slightly dizzy and hungry.How the hell I was going to finish this work ,I don't know.Perhaps I needed to invest more money on hiring new workers for doing my paperwork

"You know what I will get right to that Cusco ,just a after you tell em what else I've forgotten"

Harry stepped up "You forgot to file in that complaint for the electricity board and you forgot to turn the systems off ,there was an alarm sounding at 3 in the morning"

Feeling nausea climb up my throat ,I sat back down and conjured up an ice cube and rubbed it across my forehead ,I felt like I was blazing up

"I already filed that complaint and no that alarm was for me,I had to rush out for that fucking  meeting at bloody 3:06 and then I had to run out to the bank for turning in that news-"I yawned and sank low into my chair

"Why do you have a meeting at 3:06?"

Iris inquired,wait why was she still here ?

"I don't know" I gave up and shut my eyes

"I have mountain load of work"

"What work ?"

"Nothing,you'll have the serum by..."I checked my watch and tried to figure out a free slot

"By 6:08 in the morning but if you want it sooner you can just pull it out of the centrifugal machine.And No I didn't forget to do that I just have a crammed memory right now Cisco"

Deleting a Few mails from my inbox which was the really reason why I came into the Labs in the first place and gathered my stuff and got up

"Don't expect me back until 9:25 tomorrow night ,and don't call me ,I will not pick up"

"What's so important that you have to be super punctual ?no one micromanagaes that much"Cisco crossed his arms and stood behind me blocking the doorway

Throwing my bag behind my back ,I nudged him aside and apologised "I'm sorry I just have some work to do for a Friend of mine" I really didn't want to let lose too much information.I was already late for something

"If you have any problems or if a new meta comes up just gimme a call ,Kay?" I  quickly spat out before rushing out of the room.Cusco gave a funny look which I soared to glance but I brushed it off.I don't need to explain myself to anyone for any reason

 

The moon was full and high but the evening seemed darker than usual. After fifteen minutes with only the sound of my footsteps as company, the turrets of the old Priestly house climbed into the sky ahead of me, peering over the neighboring houses like watchtowers.

Beautiful as it was, the mansion had always reminded me of a child's dollhouse that had crumpled in on itself. Its whitewashed wooden exterior caved in at strange angles while corners jutted out like knives, piercing the overgrown masses of ivy. A stone wall covered in leaves snaked around the exterior; it was the only house in Central City outskirts  that could boast such privacy, but its gothic aura did more to repel intruders than its boundary.

People who knew the house spoke of it with equal amounts trepidation and wonder, and often, to pass the time, would imagine their own stories about it.

When I was seven years old, my mother told me of a beautiful princess who would spend her days high up in the turrets of the old house, hiding herself away from an arranged marriage with a miserable and boring prince. By the time I turned ten, kids in the neighborhood had decided it was the spellbound home of a wily old witch. She would fill the sprawling rooms with cats and frogs, cauldrons and brooms, and, deep in the night, she would fly out into the sky and scour the neighborhood for stray children who should have been fast asleep in bed. When I met Miranda , she told me about the vampires, who stood just inside the cracked windowpanes, peering out with glistening crimson eyes.

Then, at fourteen, when I was completing a school history project about Central City outskirts , I stumbled across the chilling reality of the mansion. There were no witches, no princesses, and no vampires — just a story about a young woman named Violet Priestly, a frontline nurse during World War II who had come out the other side as a drastically different version of herself. Traumatic memories haunted her like ghosts until her hallucinations became too strong to ignore. Not long after Carla shot her husband ,two bullets to the brain,disowned her daughter and flee'd...

Of course, no one wanted to buy it after that.

Nothing could sweep away the darkness that huddled around the Manor's grounds . Even during the hottest summer days, when the streets shone with mirages, there was an unmistakable iciness shrouding the mansion. And so it endured for decades, as a beacon from another time and place, resolutely empty, and utterly unconquerable.

 

That was, until tonight.

As I drew closer to the mansion, rubbing the warmth back into my suddenly chilly arms and second-guessing my decision to come this way in the first place, I realized with a start that the house had changed entirely since the last time I had seen it. Someone had finally done it — really done it. The abandoned mansion had been dragged into the twenty-first century, and now, it was alive again.

I stopped walking.

The rusted wrought iron gates were wrenched open and pushed against hedges that no longer languished across the garden wall. The weeping willows had been pruned to an almost unnatural neatness, revealing windows on the second story that I didn't know existed. The ivy had been cut away to reveal sturdy wooden boards and a newly painted red door lit up by a teardrop lantern on either side.

And in the light of the lanterns were three black SUVs parked side by side on freshly strewn gravel

My phone buzzed against my hip — a text from Iris  letting me know they needed some help, and an inadvertent reminder that I won't be going back any time soon. Reluctantly, I moved to continue on my way, but something inside was stopping me. The Priestly mansion, the frozen heart of Central City outskirts , was beating again, and lateness be damned, I had to know more about it.

And that's when I sensed something. I shifted my gaze up past the trees and caught sight of a flickering figure in an upstairs window. It was a boy. I couldn't be sure of his age, but even from a distance his bright eyes were unmistakable. They were too big for his delicate face and as they watched me from what seemed like another world, they rounded into discs that grew unnaturally. He leaned forward and pressed his palms against the glass, like he was about to push the pane from the window frame. Was he waving? Or telling me to go?

I raised my hand to him but it stalled, clammy and unsteady, in midair. And then, as quickly as I had noticed him, the strange boy was gone, vanished into the darkness behind him until the house, with its brand-new face, was still again.

Frowning, I let my eyes slide down from the empty windowpane across the driveway as the darkness ahead of me came alive. The faint sound of rustling wafted through the air, and I squinted until I could make out another figure behind one of the SUVs. He was hunched over, searching for something inside.

I tried to fight the desire to investigate, but my palms grew shaky at my sides as curiosity overwhelmed me, pushing me toward the house. I shuffled forward from the sidewalk, creeping just inside the open gates, and the rustling stopped. A car door shut and the sound of loose gravel shifted in the darkness. The figure straightened, his head appearing from behind the vehicle, moving in tandem with the noisy gravel until he stood between the house and the gates, watching me watch him.

Even beneath the lanterns, he was just an outline: a tall shadow with broad shoulders and sure movements. He paused and lowered his arm, easing a duffel bag toward the ground with deliberate slowness until it was settled at his feet. He stepped to the side and pushed it with the force of his boot until it disappeared behind the closest SUV and away from my prying eyes. But I had already seen it, whatever it was, and we both knew it.

He tilted his head to one side and stepped closer, one purposeful stride and then another, as he closed the space between us. With each step, my heart thumped harder in my chest. My curiosity evaporated, leaving reality in its place: I had been caught trespassing, and now this shadowed figure was stalking toward me.

I turned and stumbled back out onto the deserted street. As the sound of heavy footsteps split the silence behind me apart, I broke into a run, completely unprepared for the cat that hurtled out in front of me with a shrill meow. As I skidded to a halt, my arms flailing at my sides, he crashed into my back, silencing me midscream by jolting the wind from my lungs, and sending me flying through the air. I dropped my bag and landed on the sidewalk with a thud, my hands and knees scraping the pavement. Dizziness flooded me, sloshing the contents of my dinner back and forth in my stomach.

Before I could piece together what had happened or just how exactly I was going to be murdered, I was lifted out of my bubble of pain, away from the asphalt and onto my feet again, to where I had been standing seconds before, like someone had pressed REWIND.I immediately went for my bag ,Clutching a cold metal object tightly

Only this time, something was different. There was the feeling of strong hands on my waist. They held me upright as I wobbled back and forth, trying to find my balance.

"Stai tranquillo, sei al sicuro." The words were so strange and unexpected, I thought I had imagined them.

I dropped my gaze and found his hands around me and suddenly I saw myself, as if from above, relaxing into the arms of a complete stranger on a deserted street in the middle of the night, in front of the most notorious house in Central City outskirts .

A stranger who had just caught me trespassing and then knocked me to the ground.Wel it wasn't technically trespassing if I owned the Manor..was it ?

I had seen enough romantic movies to appreciate a swoon-worthy moment — but I had also watched a lot of CSI work that Barry did .With a start, I pushed the unfamiliar hands away from my body and leapt forward. I crouched and grabbed my bag from the ground, catching a glimpse of the thick silver buckle on his leather boot before springing back up and hitching my bag onto my shoulder hastily. I looked up at him, wishing I had something weapon-worthy in my handbag, just in case. But he stood still, his face a collection of shadows in the darkness. He didn't make another attempt to attack me, and I didn't wait around to give him the chance.I pointed the gun straight to his neck,If I miss ,of which the chances were negligible ,I would taint his shoulder ,possibly slowing him down.

"Catalina, non mi riconosci?" He spoke in fluent Italian.I wasn't too versed in Italian but I could speak an average amount.Did he know me ?was that why he was asking me if I recognised him ,

 

"No, non mi importa, restate indietro o ti farai male" I replied ,again in Italian,warning him that he will get hurt it if he doesn't  stay back

"Catalina ,Lower your gun.It's me ,Zeo"

 

I held the gun stead fast ,not lowering it.This man could say all he wanted but I wasn't going to let a word out me off guard.I raised my gun a little higher ,aiming for his forehead ,a good distance of 8 feet between us.The moon was shining over head and I couldn't make out Who this person exactly was

"Catalina Vivian Snow ,Nicolette Lenoir has been waiting for your arrival for two days ,It's about time you showed up at the old Snow Manor"

 

Fear Flashed in front of my eyes but my arms fell to my side

After all...Only some people know of Glorious Snow Manor...

 

~A month ago-

Miranda's  words had kindled something I had become all too accustomed to during the last year and a half of my life: Dad-related guilt.

Back in the welcome privacy of my bedroom, I sat cross-legged on my perpetually unmade bed. Clutching the latest Italian-issue envelope in one hand, I carefully removed the letter from inside it and dipped back into my father's life, which, for now at least, was confined to the pages his sister sent me every couple of weeks.

Dear Catalina ,

Sorry I haven't written in a while. I like to wait until I have something to say, even if it's not as interesting as life back in Central City. I would hate for you to think I'm becoming more boring than I was before I left. In truth, I am trying to make the most of my time here. I want to give you something to be proud of again.Your Father would be so proud of who you have become today my angel.I may visit the city in a few days time.

You'll be happy to know that I finished Catch-22 in just two days, which means I am finally getting faster at reading. I will have the knowledge of an English professor by the time I come back, and maybe I'll even write a book of my own!

And now you and your bugger Of cousins can't make fun of me !

I hope your summer is going well. Try not to worry too much about not getting out in the sun — you will have the last laugh when all your friends are aging prematurely and you still have the skin of a teenager.

How is everything at the diner? I hope Aunt Nicolette is looking after you. I know she is really trying her best, so go easy on her. If you ask her, I'm sure she will give you some time off so you can get away with Your siblings ,show then around the city — go on an adventure.

On the subject of your uncle, I was thinking that you should suggest some reading material for him, too. It would be a good way for him to de-stress. Maybe something with colorful pictures and big block letters? Just kidding. Don't tell him I said that! I do worry about him, which might sound ironic given the circumstances, but I am relying on you to keep an eye on him and his blood pressure. We are not getting any younger, unfortunately.

How is your mom? Has she remembered to get the dishwasher repaired or have you had to go through with your sink-filling plan? I hope she has stopped overworking herself, but I know how unlikely that is. Please let her know I am thinking about her if she asks, which I hope she does. I haven't heard from her in a while, but I know she is still processing everything. It is difficult for her, as I expect it is for you.

It has been so long since I've seen you. I would really love for you to visit when you get some time off. What about after your birthday, when everything has settled down again? Phillipe will give you a ride if you ask him. I do miss your teenage sarcasm, despite what you may think.

That's all for now. I look forward to your next letter and, as always, I am thinking of you and counting the daysMy flight lands at Central City airport next Tuesday ,The other's will be with me too

Love,

Miranda

 

I slipped the letter back inside the envelope and placed it on the nightstand. I tried to shake the melancholia out of my head. Even after all my aunt's  letters, I still felt sad reading them, but I knew, too, that not to have them at all would be a thousand times more painful.I never replied to her letters after she warned me not to.She wrote once ,6 years ago warning me if I do so I may risk revealing my real location and her's.So I stopped writing back...I did make too many drafts though ,stuffing all of them inside a shoebox under my bed in hopes that when I meet her in person I can show her those.She lives to France ,Then Bulgaria but now she said she would fly back to the states if everything is safe

With a heavy heart, I propped my notepad against my knees and began my reply, censoring the negative parts of my life and highlighting the positives as I wrote. Even if the world was falling down around me, I would not tell my father, because he, above all the people in my life, needed good tidings in whatever form he could get them. And no matter how angry and frustrated I was, I would give him what he needed to survive.

Hi, Aunt Miranda

As I write this I am balancing my notepad on two skinned knees and writing with a sore hand. If you're wondering why, it's because on my way home from work last night I face-planted into the pavement.

A freaky shadow chased after me and knocked me to the ground. But it's OK because I didn't let him murder me (you're welcome), and now I'm pretty sure that wasn't his intention in the first place. He was probably just chasing after me like a maniac so he could ask why I was snooping around his driveway in the middle of the night on my own. Teenagers, right?

Luckily I have lived to tell the tale, though I can't say my pride has survived. Still, I think it makes for a fitting opening to this letter, and I bet it made you smile a little.

I hope something good came of the incident, because I bolted home in a state of pain and paranoia.

It's nice to know you are reading. I think writing a book is a great idea. They say it's very therapeutic.

I don't know who "they" are or whether that's even true. And I really hope when you say book you don't mean a biographical one, because I'm not crazy about having to relive the story of your murder trial in paperback format, no matter how soothing it is for your psyche. And I don't relish the thought of watching Mom go through another anxiety attack anytime soon, either,so She moves to the other side of the city ,and we don't exactly talk anymore

I haven't gotten a chance to do very much other than work this summer, which I am getting used to.I help around STAR labs and the really cute CSI I keep writing about ,but he is too infatuated with his step sister (eww)

I have resigned myself to the current monotony of my life.

Uncle is great. He is still doing his best to step into your role, though he is a little grumpier than you. Maybe that comes with middle age? ;-) He goes back and forth to the city a lot. Millie and I have developed a theory that he has met a woman there, because what kind of "city business" would he be attending to so often? What do you think, our Charlie, a Casanova? Hmmm ... food for thought. If it is the case, then I don't think we need to be worrying about his health, as long as his heart is doing OK.

Though, knowing Uncle Charlie, I bet it's more of a sordid affair than an epic romance. So far, nothing has coming close to filling the void you left in his life.

Thank you for saying I will have the last laugh when all my friends wrinkle up like prunes in later years for spending the time they have now in the sun.

I am flattered you implied I still have more than one real friend and I hope you really do think that. If you knew how many people turned on me, I think it would break your heart.I do have more friends than when I last wrote ,Four more actually.Im literally sighing here because you will probably not get this letter either and if you do it will most likely be the making of a miracle.So this too ,goes into the shoebox.

Awaiting your arrival eagerly Aunt Mir

 

Yours forever

Catalina

 

I smiled down at my signature.I never sign of as Catalina,never.Even Cisco doesn't know that's my full name,I never told him.Only One person in STAR labs did and that was the janitor who came pass my secret stash of my real identification.He didn't really pay attention though ,his contract said he couldn't share a word of what happens inside the Labs,so...

~The present ,one hour later~

I stood facedown with my nose pressed against the countertop, willing time to speed up.This was one of the times I wished I had Barry's powers because I was too lazy to move from the couch to go get myself Ben and Jerry's but also because I didn't have time as my new found 'shadow' from the mansion was going to com in any second

 

My phone buzzed and lit up with a messed 'heading home,c u Tom'

It was from Cisco.

 

Even during the Laziest hours of the day, the fast food diner was never overrun with customers, but tonight it was unusually quiet. Mostly because a concert had just gotten over and a lot of people came to the 24 hour drive through to grab a burger .There was just one more hour to go until I could go home, and the minutes were dragging by. To make matters worse, the air conditioner was broken, the stifling humidity was frizzing out the ends of my hair, and the deliveryman hadn't shown up for the third day in a row, which meant they were low on some of the menu's ingredients.

A friend of mine hovered behind me, prodding my shoulder. He was, after all, part-male, part-question. "So if these random  relatives just moved in, then the shadow guy probably was one of the abyss boys?"

"Yeah," I replied through a yawn. "It was ."

"I held a gun to Zeo Abyss's head" I let out  a small chuckle  
he laughed like it was the funniest thing he'd ever heard. "How embarrassing for you."

I lifted my head. "Better embarrassed than dead."

he grinned. "Oh come on, Cailtin,where is your sense of adventure?"

I pretended to contemplate his question. "I think it's buried deep beneath my natural instinct to survive."

"You could have had a !" His face was glowing.

"Or been brutally murdered by one," I countered.

"Ugh, you are such a killjoy.Snow!"He mocked my brother and I frowned a fake frown  
"Oh shut up Adrian ,your so gay after him"  
"I find him hot ,Ok!?Cant help if I'm bi "  
"I have absolutely no problem buddy,I want a beer"  
"You won't get any here" he snapped his fingers and leaned back against his chair.

 

"Ya know...I think imma marry your brother"  
"Oh shut up you little douche" I threw a french fry at my dear friend...

 

* * *

 

  
_a volte tutto quello che dobbiamo fare è la fiducia, ea volte dobbiamo tirare il grilletto ..._

_  
иногда все, что нам нужно сделать, это доверие, и иногда нам нужно нажать на курок ..._

_parfois tout ce que nous devons faire est la confiance, et parfois nous devons appuyer sur la gâchette ..._

_sometimes all we need to do is trust,and sometimes we need to pull the trigger..._


	3. Star City Local News

Star City Local news

* * *

 

**MOBS BEGIN A BLOOD WAR,** **KILLING SEVEN, INJURING TWELVE**

  
The much awaited Birthday party of Actress Amy Winthrow ended in tragedy on Friday night as unknown mob gangs went head-to-head in front of hundreds of terrified onlookers.

In a strike thought to be connected to the Christmas Day Murder Of famous architect Danny Kinn, where eight men and two women lost their lives, A masked woman ,rumoured to be sister of Miranda Abyss and widow of deceased mafia boss Christopher Tannhauser, was confronted  aboard the actress of Central City's private yacht party. Armed with a gun ,the masked woman shouted out Carla's name and uttered something in Italian,transalating to "We have done what you asked for,now pay us"

The actress's cousin died from a single stab wound in the chest. Witnesses report that a woman in emerald beside the actress ,Stana, immediately opened fire on the crowd, killing 8 other bystanders along with who seemed to be her prime target ,Amy

 

Security guard Albert Smythe and dental hygienist Dawn Minerri lost their lives in the shooting, while a further twelve partygoers were injured. Several witnesses reported seeing three men jumping from the upper deck of the yacht into the near-freezing Beach side , but search and rescue missions have failed to recover any bodies, and have now been called off.

Gunman ,identified to be A Fanny Smith  was shot and killed by an armed bodyguard as the actress was rushed to safety. This latest shootout marks the culmination of a particularly bloody period in Central City's underworld, while Christopher Tannhauser's death is believed to spell the end of the active mafia dynasty. Several members of the Berkin crime family remain at large, and are currently wanted by the police for questioning. Sources close to the family have claimed that A Zeo Abyss has recently assumed leadership of the infamous dynasty.Zeo is the eldest son of the Abyss Family ,nephew to Christopher Tannhauser. He is purported to be the youngest boss in Family history. The identity of the underboss remains unknown.

Carla Tannhauser is being kept under protection of the CCPD after the revelation of a gun from her purse found after the party ,one that has been fired twice with her fingerprints.It is unknown what her fate is her ,but latest news has that she will be incarcerated for possession illegal ammunitions.Currently Carla Tannhauser is in Central City to meet her child

 

The whereabouts of Her's and  Christopher's child is still a mystery.

 

The investigation continues.


	4. Catching up

_una volta un amico, sempre un amico_

_однажды друг, всегда друг_

_une fois un ami, toujours un ami_

_once a friend, always a friend_

  
________________________________

 

"There was a cat, and I didn't want to trample it."

"Ah, I see."

"But then you went ahead and tried to trample me, so I'm not sure it was worth it."

"I told you," he said conspiratorially, "I wanted to ask you something."

"Do you always ask your questions so aggressively? I'm not sure you'd make an effective interrogator."

"Perhaps you're right," he conceded with a small smile. "But I'm too impatient for that line of work anyway."

I zeroed in on the golden flecks in his dark eyes, trying not to lose my train of thought. There was always something about Adrianno DeLuca's eyes "So what's the question?"

"Well," he said. "At first I wanted to know why you were spying on that house. And then I started to wonder why you suddenly decided not to stick around when I noticed you?"

He wasn't smiling anymore; he was studying me and I understood what he meant — he knew I had been running away and he knew I was not scared of him. But now, looking at him, I couldn't remember why I had felt that way.Adrian has always been my best friend ,almost like my gay right hand brother who never let me down...it' skits I wasnt there for him for years

"Were you running away from me?"

I shook my head too hard, making my cheeks jiggle. "Nope, definitely not."

"Oh, really?" he pressed, smiling broadly this time. It rearranged his face beautifully, raising his brows and softening his jaw.

"I prefer to think of it as casual hobbling."

He pulled back from me and, slowly, I became aware of the rest of the world again. "I'd call it frantic sprinting."

"Semantics."

"I'm sorry if I hurt you," he said. "I'm Adrian, by the way, and this is my sister ,Caitlin ."Adrian gave me a good shake to the shoulder ,pecking my cheek and hugging me.I was glad that the time and distance hadn't changed a single thought about me

Even though I was standing between my brothers, I had barely registered Zeo. He had stopped studying his menu and was resting his interlocking fingers on top of it. I offered him a smile. "Welcome to the States Zeo.Watched the west side story "

"That was boring for me," Zeo replied. His voice was sharp with impatience, and scratchy, too, as though he had a sore throat. "But it's nice to know you're planning on being somewhat professional this evening, Catalina."

I blanched. What got into Zeo?

He gestured back and forth with his index finger, first at Adrian, and then at me, like our conversation was his business, too. "Are you ready to focus now, Adrian?"

Adrian ,the poor hopeless lost puppy of a man took offence at the gesture.He was pissed.

"Hey Zeo ,Maybe you could dial down the bossy rude person you got goin' on there"He snapped his finger back and gesturedto Zeo's body

I sighed and called the waitress over

"We' ordering more food guys !stop fighting

Zeo looked alarmed by my interruption, like he had forgotten where they were. He opened his menu again, scanned it for five seconds, and pulled back with a frown. "A coffee. Black. Strong."

He gestured at Adrian

"I'll have the steak sandwich, rare, with fries and please put the gravy on the side. And a glass of milk,low fat no sugar ," Adrian said finally, before shutting his menu and shifting his gaze back to me, "please."

"Is that everything?" I held eye contact with him, feeling my lips twitch into a shy smile.

"Addriano!, that is all!" Zeo hissed into the space between us.

By now, I was used to dealing with difficult people, but Zeo's attitude was unparalleled, and I found myself losing my temper quicker than I normally would have.However I didn' tended to lash out on him when I already had Adrian talking "I'm sorry, but is my presence in the place where you moved in WITHOUT your own sister knowing ,disturbing you !?"

"As a mater of fact it is.Cait why did you have to bring along your gay friend ?"

"Hey !stop discriminating!"

"Guys ,please .Cut it out,Were meeting up after a long time and I don't want to make bad memories out of it"

 

I didn't have to say much more than that ,because the boys kept to themselves and stopped bickering.The rest of the dinner I narrated all the Flash tales I possibly could fit in an hour.

Zeo was taken aback because I never called

Adrian was beyond freaked out and decided it would be best if everyone just left the city of 'paranoia' and he coined it.I found it rather odd that they would still look at me like in their baby sister,even when I'm 27.

I pushed them out the door of the diner after a long conversation ,since the chef wanted to take the rest of the night easy.

I hailed a cab and we squashed ourselves inside the sedan ,Zeo got off at the Manor,gave me a few words of deep thought on how the next time someone asks me out I should get him to get that person thoroughly vetted.He invites me for lunch the next day ,I didn't exactly want to return to the Manor but I would have to

 

 

"Guess it's just us!" Adrian zoned out after the cab taxied (see what I did there) from the gate of the Manor.

"Where are you staying by the way ?"

"Oh ,this little backpackers lodge by high street.Its super posh and you will not believe the sales going on at backstreet Gucci ,like .I was genuinely stunned !"

His enthusiasm made me laugh

"Well ,tonight your not going back.Were gonna have ourselves a sleep over"

"You're kidding"

"Nope!"

"You're totally kidding"

"Hey Mr.Singh ,drive us to The twin towers in CBD"

"Sure Maam" The Punjabi driver replied and took a sharp left into the city

"Oh My Gosh !Who are you what have you done to Caitlin !!!Your hosting a sleepover"

I ogled my eyes "since when have I not thrown a sleepover"

"Ever since you and that weird kid from AP biology broke up !girl you have gotta hav-"

"There will be alcohol" I cut through

"Alcohol?"

"Yes,Booze? Heard of it ?or are you still nerdy from graduating highschool ?!" I winked

"Cait-who stocks on champagne knowing they're gonna have a gay friend visit any one soon ?"He deadpanned

"That's true ,But Raj here can get us to some good store ,can't you Raj !"

The driver simply laughed heartily and drove on.

________________________________

  
_un uomo morirà, ma le sue promesse rimarranno_

_человек умрет, но его обещания останутся_

_un homme va mourir, mais ses promesses resteront_

_a man will die, but his promises will remain_


	5. Burning the Midnight Oil

* * *

_Aspettare l'inaspettato_

_Ожидать неожидаемое_

_Attendez-vous à l'inattendu_

_Expect the unexpected_

  
___ _______________________________

  
It was a veritable sea of boxes.

They were piled floor to ceiling, many so heavy that they teetered under their own weight, swaying each time the steps of officers in the next room tread too close to their purchase onthe tile. Dozens of them; all exactly alike, mottled brown and labelled distinctly in a steady hand. Names and dates were strewn about in capital letters, piles grouped together, marked Box 1 of 3 and so on. The boxes alone were enough to consume a man, he thought, and they were the easiest to sort. Names and numbers were simple things to understand, after all; unmarked evidence less so, and there was plenty of it. These were the piles of papers spread out on the desk - some stacked six inches high, and all had had the honour of once being haphazardly stored in the CCPD Cabinet, as it were so called.

The Cabinet was a necessity that had come out of Singh's growing exasperation with Cher. He'd often remarked about the man's unnatural aptitude to attract murderers and thieves unto his person; a tendency which had earned him the gag nickname "the angel of death" at First Division HQ. After only the barest handful of paperwork-heavy Sleeping Cher's files, the legendary detective had earned himself his very own section of the archives - the contents of which were now spread across CCPD directors's  table, threatening to engulf the computer, the odds and ends and, if things shifted around too much, the entire tiled floor.

But there it was. Hundreds of files; hundreds of crimes set to rights by Cher's...and entourage.

The reappearance of the files was nothing short of a miracle. They'd simply vanished out of their carefully-labelled boxes one day, and just as inexplicably arrived back in an unmarked packet. And now it had fallen to Singh to find out why the files had disappeared, where they had gone, and who was responsible...

It was hard to say if there was anything missing. Even for the most stalwart of Chris's supporters, remembering each and every detail of even those cases which had been publicized was extremely difficult. Re-sorting so many items that had been taken, and seeking out the missing pieces of classified files - impossible. Chris himself remembered next to nothing about most of his own work. No matter which folder Singh reread or which stack he sorted through, even those cases which he himself had been present for, he could not determine whether anything had been removed or modified.

He lifted two near-identical folders and took them to the table, balancing a coffee cup on top of the stack. It seemed there was no alternative but to start comparing the cases they had double copies of, just so that they could be ruled out of the investigation. Luckily for Singh, the details of Cher's's cases that had been solved outside of Central City were regularly forwarded to the department, and the Star City And Coast City divisions had all sent additional copies when the original files had gone missing.The Star City file was actually the original print ,written in true ink.

Singh scratched his head

For what particular reason did some Alex Feller call up the CCPD office desk and that late night worker had to disturb Captain David Singh because he didn't know who else to call.

David sighed and opened the folder ,flipping the through the pages till he reached the number provided to the cop by 'Alex Feller'

A list ,preserved in a ziplock bag with something scribbled.

The original write up on that list said this

<Six names written in the language French.Henrique,Skirt,Jacques ,Feliciano,Macaroons,Lombardy.No connection between these names or items and the victim  have been found.The victim is of french origin.>

And the paperwork was signed off by the then current officer on that case.Singh glanced over the list and all the six names seemed to be there...not a drop of fresh ink...

David rubbed his eyes ,It was 2:46 in the morning and he wasn't supposed to be here.

"GORDON!"

He called out to the cop who called him in.The redhead ran in

"What exactly did Alex tell you ?"

"Um-uh-Check the numbers twice ,Page 15,The last page says it all.Dont shut the folder too quick.You may catch the murderer by the  sea.Thats all he said sir ,then he requested that I call you or detective Cher specifically.

"Numbers...What Numbers ?"

He ran through the original file atleast six times before leaning back into his chair and growling in annoyance.Murderer by the sea....

The place of the murder was a...country side mansion...?

By the sea.

Singh grabbed a spare file from Coast City and continued to turn pages, skimming the newly-printed fax text to compare it to the rumpled sheets that had been crammed into the archive for so long. Mug shots, timeline, sketches, photographs, prints...

There were supposed to be prints here somewhere, weren't there? David had been through this folder twice already, and he distinctly remembered that in page 15 there were no numbers apart from the page number.Only details about the victims's family's statements.

That's when a thought hit David...The last page says it all

He flipped the pages till the last ,and counted backwards....

Numbers...Singh counted back fifteen leaves till it hit page 9

There it was - a photocopy of the card that displayed The victim's fingerprints. He rifled through the envelope of papers that had come back from the strange thief, and he thought he remembered seeing...

Here. He withdrew a small card from the mess and eyed it. Without a case number attached, it was one of several items that hadn't been re-filed just yet. They did belong to a mafia case but not this ,of that he was certain - they were signed, dated and perfectly matched the faxed version numbered Page 9 of 24. Singh brought the card back to the table to file it...and stopped.

He stared at the page he was on...page 9 was supposed to be on the left side of the book or the right side of the leaf...why was it on the right ?

A universal system of numbering books prevailed where odds were printed on the left and even numbers to the right.Thats why the gurl caught the boy lying when he said he found the note between page 15 and 16.There is not 'between' 15 and 16...

Singh flipped to the last page again ,this time counting sides instead of leafs.On the ninth side ,page 19.

On page 19,clearly written in blue ball pen was one name ,one six digit number and a small USB stick.

Singh glanced The the key of the page to find no write up regarding the name ,number USB.

Nothing on what it contains.

David ,slipping on white latex gloves ripped the ziploc open and fished the stick out.He immediately moved to the nearest desk top and plugged the info card in.

Five minutes later David Singh knew that the case had to be reopened...

 

~The Next morning~

 

The next morning was the most hectic mornings David Singh and ever experienced.Press was outside with 6 million questions.The DA was arguing with some other person of interest.The cops were scurrying out of Singh's way,the interns were suspended for a free day and a commotion was caused.

Out of all this however ,one thing stood out.It was a woman ,walking out of the elevator and onto the first floor of CCPD that caught most people's attention.

It was pure coincidence that they met when they did; Fate, Barry thought maybe, as he stopped dead in the hall. The Detective Boys were trailing excitedly after David , prodding him about some haunted house case they'd been involved in. Some guy from another precinct brought up the rear, conspicuous by his proximity from the others and his annoyed expression, stance offensive, hands in pockets. He obviously had something to say but couldn't do so. It made it easier for everyone to just stand by the sides when four men ,each dressed in black SWAT uniform and a loaded gun in hand were walking in a square formation and in the middle stood a woman he felt he knew well

"Joe!"

He couldn't make out her face.She was wearing shades and was in a beige dress ,sleeveless with her hair down.In a mess...

Barry whispered to Joe "What' going on ?"

"Barry,if I knew I would tell you"Joe deadpanned and fell back into line.Whoever was coming out of the elevator was someone important.He tapped another cop's

"What' shoring on?"

"Something they've been investigating all night." The Other Guy jerked his head in the direction of Barry . Barry noticed that it was they and not we. "I'm just as clueless as you Allen"

"Wait...who has been investigating?"

"Singh and Some cop from Coast City"

"Oh..."

"Word is that Singh was called in at night ,asked to check up on some old case and now its reopened"

"Which case ?"

"Don't know.Bit the others think it may be something related to the recent mafia uprising"

Barry stepped back.Je was taller and had a better view form the back,on top of the stairs.Everyone was gathered to see who was coming.Finally ,after an excruciating wait the doors opened again.This time a man in a tuxedo and an older woman ,probably in her fifties walked out ,a cut face and clean crisp clothes,as if she expected to be called in.

This woman too ,walked straight into the interrogation room ,And behind her followed David Singh.He wasn' treating a uniform ,just a shirt and jeans.Barry realised he might not have gone home.With a hand to his waist ,Barry tried to peer through the shades in attempt t steal a glance.But it was in vain as David closed the shutters and blacked the one way screen.

 

It wasn't until late morning when the door finally opened and the curiosity of all the members -sans the janitor who always knew way too much information-was fed to.

A yearly eyes blonde woman stepped out followed by the man in the tuxedo and one other woman ,who went in first

Joe's face went from curiosity to utter shock in a split-second, like a well-worn mask dropping into place.

"Caitlin?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~Central City Picture News~

  
Latest news has that Mob Family ,The Abyss's have recently arrived in Central city after the alleged landing of their eldest son Zeo Abyss on 26 of September.

Sightings of not only Zeo but also several of his acquaintances have been spotted walking around the park area.The Central City Police Department has unexpected visitors ,a man in a tuxedo ,a lady with him along with another younger woman who seems to be related to the elder lady.

Rumor on the street ,the city dares to fear,The mafia may rise up again.

 

* * *

 

 

_Don’t trust the shadows..._

_non fidarti delle ombre_

_не доверяйте теням_

_ne fais pas confiance aux ombres_


End file.
